Youth Forum
The Youth Forum was held as a part of the 3Seas Local Government Congress, in cooperation with the Youth Regional Assembly of the Lubelskie Voivodeship, as well as non-governmental organisations, academic communities, and public institutions.
The official opening of the Forum was conducted by Adam Andruszkiewicz, Secretary of State and Deputy Head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, and Piotr Breś, Vice-Marshal of the Lubelskie Voivodeship. They emphasises the importance of the young generation’s involvement in public life and the role of the Forum as a platform for dialogue and cooperation within the Three Seas region.
The panels focused on the role of young people in decision-making processes, the importance of representation of student communities, and the need for the active participation of the younger generation in public debate at both national and international levels. The content partners of the first day were: the Foundation for Civic Development Initiatives, the Student Parliament of the Republic of Poland and Nowa.org.pl. Speakers included, among others, Dr Marcin Gołębiowski, Vice-President of Starachowice, Julia Bednarska-Leśniak, President of the Student Parliament of the Republic of Poland, Mateusz Kopaczyński, Ombudsman for Student Rights of the Republic of Poland, and Giuseppe Adamo, member of the Programme Council of Nowa PL.
The second day of the Forum was devoted to topics related to professional development, education, the labour market, and the functioning of young people within the information space. Particular emphasis was placed on retaining young talent in Poland, developing future-oriented competencies, and adressing challenges related to the dynamic development of technology and media. The content partners were: Our Future Foundation, the Warsaw Institute of Banking Foundation, and the Youth Regional Assembly of the Lubelskie Voivodeship. Speakers included, among others, Prof. Paweł Droździel, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Rev. Dr. hab. Rafał Pastwa, journalist and media scholar, member of the Polish Society for Social Communication, Catholic University of Lublin, as well as Jakub Staniewski, President of the Polish Youth Association.
An important part of the programme also included panels organised as part of the accompanying event, the Eastern Congress of Young Leaders, organised by the European Meeting House Foundation – Nowy Staw Foundation. Their scope covered issues related to international cooperation and the importance of non-formal education in the context of contemporary geopolitical and digital transformations. The event brought together more than 150 international participants, including representatives from Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and New Zeland.
The event was complemented by a power speech delivered by Julia Szeremeta, which served as an inspiration for the participants and highlighted the importance of engagement, personal development, and active attitude of the younger generation.
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